Method and system of remote diagnostic, control and information collection using multiple formats and multiple protocols with delegating protocol processor

• US 8,635,329 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2006
• Issued: 01/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Motoyama, Tetsuro, Fong, Avery
• Primary Examiner(s): BAROT, BHARAT
• Application Number:
  US11/341,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20060164683A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,913 Days
• Field of Search: 709223-224, 709217-219, 370466-469
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00344 with a management, maintenance, service or repair apparatus monitoring H04N1/00002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0081 Image reader H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0091 Digital copier; digital 'photocopier' H04N2201/0093 and H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0093 Facsimile machine H04N2201/0094 takes precedence

Abstract

A system, method and program product for diagnosing, controlling and collecting information from devices. Information regarding events of each one of a plurality of target applications executing in an application unit is collected and formatted into one of multiple data formats for transmission through one of multiple communication protocols at the request of each of the target applications, through an interface. The event information for a particular target application is formatted and transmitted according to a combination of a data format and communication protocol requested by the target application. The transmission of data representing the event information is handled in at least two levels of software classes, with at least one abstract software class having a declared virtual function and two or more software classes derived from the at least one abstract class and having definitions of the function for communicating the event information through specified communication protocols. The formatted data is transmitted through, e.g., e-mail or FTP to a predetermined destination or may be saved to local storage, e.g., a local disk. By sharing resources, code duplication is reduced or eliminated.

Claims

1. A method of collecting information of an image printing device, comprising:

monitoring, by a first target application in the image printing device, events of the image printing device to obtain first monitored information;

receiving, from the first target application by a monitoring device in the image printing device, a selection of a first Internet application layer communication protocol from among a plurality of different Internet application layer communication protocols; and

sending, by a protocol processor in the image printing device, the first monitored information of the image printing device to a first predetermined destination using the first Internet application layer communication protocol, wherein the protocol processor is configured to send data using the plurality of different Internet application layer communication protocols.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the first target application in the image printing device, by the monitoring device in the image printing device, a request to send the first monitored information to the first predetermined destination through the first Internet application layer communication protocol using a first data format.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein

the first data format includes one of text format, binary format, comma separated format and eXtensible Markup Language (XML) format;

and

the first Internet application layer communication protocol includes one of Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and local disk.

4. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

receiving from a second target application in the image printing device, by the monitoring device, a request to send second information regarding monitored events of the image printing device obtained by the second target application to a second predetermined destination through a second Internet application layer communication protocol using a second data format, wherein the first Internet application layer communication protocol is different from the second Internet application layer communication protocol; and

sending, by the protocol processor, the second information to the second predetermined destination through the second Internet application layer communication protocol.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the first data format is different from the second data format.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the first Internet application layer communication protocol is different from the second Internet application layer communication protocol.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sending step further comprises:

creating a first software class having a declared virtual function;

creating a second software class derived from the first software class having a first definition of the declared virtual function; and

executing the first definition.

8. An image printing device, comprising:

a first target application configured to monitor events of the image printing device to obtain first monitored information;

a memory that stores the first monitored information;

a monitoring device configured to receive, from the first target application, a selection of a first Internet application layer communication protocol from among a plurality of different Internet application layer communication protocols; and

a protocol processor configured to send the first monitored information of the image printing device to a first predetermined destination through the first Internet application layer communication protocol, wherein the protocol processor is configured to send data using the plurality of different Internet application layer communication protocols.

9. The image printing device of claim 8, wherein the monitoring device is configured to receive from the first target application a request to send the first monitored information to the first predetermined destination through the first Internet application layer communication protocol using a first data format.

10. The image printing device according to claim 9, wherein

the first data format includes one of text format, binary format, comma separated format and XML format;

and

the first Internet application layer communication protocol includes one of SMTP, FTP and local disk.

11. The image printing device according to claim 9, wherein

the monitoring device is further configured to receive from a second target application in the image printing device a request to send second information regarding monitored events of the image printing device obtained by the second target application to a second predetermined destination through a second Internet application layer communication protocol using a second data format, wherein the first Internet application layer communication protocol is different from the second Internet application layer communication protocol;

and

the protocol processor is configured to send the second information to the second predetermined destination through the second Internet application layer communication protocol.

12. The image printing device according to claim 11, wherein the first data format is different from the second data format.

13. The image printing device according to claim 11, wherein the first Internet application layer communication protocol is different from the second Internet application layer communication protocol.

14. The image printing device according to claim 8, wherein the protocol processor is further configured to create a first software class having a declared virtual function, to create a second software class derived from the first software class having a first definition of the declared virtual function, and to execute the first definition.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing program instructions, which when executed by a processor of an image printing device, cause the processor to collect information of the image printing device by performing the steps of:

monitoring, by a first target application in the image printing device, events of the image printing device to obtain first monitored information;

receiving, from the first target application by a monitoring device in the image printing device, a selection of a first Internet application layer communication protocol from among a plurality of different Internet application layer communication protocols; and

sending, by a protocol processor in the image printing device, the first monitored information of the image printing device to a first predetermined destination using the first Internet application layer communication protocol, wherein the protocol processor is configured to send data using the plurality of different Internet application layer communication protocols.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the program instructions cause the processor to further perform the step of:

receiving from the first target application in the image printing device, by the monitoring device in the image printing device, a request to send the first monitored information to the first predetermined destination through the first Internet application layer communication protocol using a first data format.

17. The computer readable medium according to claim 16, wherein

the first data format includes one of text format, binary format, comma separated format and XML format;

and

the first Internet application layer communication protocol includes one of SMTP, FTP, and local disk.

18. The computer readable medium according to claim 16, wherein the program instructions cause the processor to further perform the steps of:

receiving from a second target application in the image printing device, by the monitoring device, a request to send second information regarding monitored events of the image printing device obtained by the second target application to a second predetermined destination through a second Internet application layer communication protocol using a second data format, wherein the first Internet application layer communication protocol is different from the second Internet application layer communication protocol; and

sending, by the protocol processor, the second information to the second predetermined destination through the second Internet application layer communication protocol.

19. The computer readable medium according to claim 18, wherein the first data format is different from the second data format.

20. The computer readable medium according to claim 18, wherein the first Internet application layer communication protocol is different from the second Internet application layer communication protocol.

21. The computer readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the sending step further comprises:

creating a first software class having a declared virtual function;

creating a second software class derived from the first software class having a first definition of the declared virtual function; and

executing the first definition.